The Moments In Between
by AniJay
Summary: A collection of loosely related TWxPG oneshots that will be updated as the opportunity arises.
1. Teamwork

_Well, I finished one story and now I think I'll try a few oneshots and drabbles to see how it goes. Takes place sometime after "Chain of Command"._

**Teamwork**

"Come on, Timber Wolf, run the simulation again. This time, remember that this is a team mission, not a personal training exercise."

Timber Wolf bit back a retort at the criticism. There was something about Cosmic Boy that just really set him on edge ever since the former Legion leader had returned from his long absence. Even though he was no longer in command, Cosmic Boy still carried a certain amount of authority which allowed him to still oversee team practice runs and simulations. This particular simulation had Timber Wolf and Phantom Girl paired up on an assignment to work together to bring down Tharok. They had run through the same sim five times and every time, Cosmic Boy had something to criticize about their performance.

Phantom Girl rolled her eyes so that only Timber Wolf could see as Cosmic Boy started the exercise from the beginning. They were both getting fed up with running the same mission over and over again. She quickly outlined a plan that Timber Wolf thought was too risky, but one that she insisted would work.

"Look, I know you don't like it, but it's the only way we'll beat this sim," she told him impatiently. "Don't hold back. I'll be fine, I promise."

As the first explosion of the simulation went off, Timer Wolf said, "Be careful." He knew that if their timing was off, even just a little, she could seriously get hurt. He just had to trust that she knew what she was doing the way she was trusting him to carry out his part of her plan.

Phantom Girl nodded and took off to where Tharok was wreaking havoc on a city block. Phasing and attacking from behind, she kept Tharok distracted while Timber Wolf cleared the area of civilians. The last pedestrian had just taken off down the street when Tharok managed to get ahold of Phantom Girl. She called out for Timber Wolf, and he turned to see Tharok holding Phantom Girl in front of him as a human shield.

"Let me go free, or else you'll be looking for her replacement," the robot said.

"Timber Wolf, remember what I told you! Do it now!" she shouted.

Timber Wolf saw Cosmic Boy jerk in surprise when he ran at Tharok, his arm pulled back. As soon as he was close enough, he let his fist fly through Phantom Girl and into the villain's head. The robot crumpled to the ground and Phantom Girl resolidified herself, a smirk on her face that clearly said, _Told you it would work._

"What was that!?" Cosmic Boy shouted, storming over to where Phantom Girl had landed next to Timber Wolf.

"Uh, _hellooo_? You told us to use teamwork, and that's what we did," Phantom Girl said, putting her hands on her hips.

"That isn't what I meant by teamwork, and you know it." Cosmic Boy's finger waved in their faces.

"Maybe you should've been more specific," Timber Wolf said, knocking Cosmic Boy's hand away.

"I'll say," Phantom Girl snorted. "So did we pass the sim or not?"

Timber Wolf stifled a laugh at the pissed look on the other boy's face. As much as Cosmic Boy might hate their solution, there was no denying their results.

Not to be deterred, Cosmic Boy pulled himself up to his full height. "You may have passed the basic requirements of the simulation, but you did so in an unsatisfactory manner that—"

"Hold it right there," Phantom Girl put a hand up to cut him off. She turned to Timber Wolf. "You heard that right? We passed the requirements."

"I believe that is what he said."

"And so it makes sense to assume that we're done here, correct?"

"I would think so," he agreed, secretly enjoying the rising color in Cosmic Boy's face. It was just so easy to push this guy's buttons that it was hard to resist. Being around Phantom Girl didn't help matters much. She had a knack for sarcasm and a tendency to pick targets that were fun to get riled up, and Timber Wolf couldn't help but join in. "We beat the sim using teamwork as instructed, so I don't know what else he expects from us."

"I _expect—_"

"Me neither," Phantom Girl said, ignoring Cosmic Boy completely. "So since we're done here, I believe that you said something about a movie earlier?"

"I never said you two were done!" Cosmic Boy snapped, bringing the attention back to him.

"Simulation completed," the computer's voice announced. Gradually the projected images around them faded, leaving them standing in a wide empty room.

"Apparently the computer thinks we are," Phantom Girl said flippantly, "but you are more than welcome to continue on your own if you want." She started heading for the exit of the Sim Chamber, swiping the computer's control tablet from Cosmic Boy on her way out with Timber Wolf following. Pausing by the door, she turned back to where Cosmic Boy was glaring daggers at the two of them and fiddled with the controls.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Timber Wolf saw Phantom Girl's wicked grin and knew that she was up to something. He watched as a crowded landscape appeared and a new simulation began with Cosmic Boy being thrown flat on his back by a robot. Phantom Girl waved the controls in farewell as she opened the doors for both her and Timber Wolf, causing Cosmic Boy to yell out, "Don't you dare leave me here!"

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Just remember, this one is a personal training exercise, not a team mission," Timber Wolf advised as he shut the doors on Cosmic Boy's frustrated yell. Turning to Phantom Girl, he allowed himself a smile when she burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face?" she gasped in-between laughs. "He is going to be sooo mad when he gets out!"

"It was worth it." Timber Wolf shrugged, taking the control tablet from her. "Besides, he should be happy. He gave us an enemy and told us to work together to beat our opponent. That was our mission, and we accomplished it."

"What about his mission?" Phantom Girl raised her eyebrow.

"His mission?" Timber Wolf glanced down at the computer's program controller in his hand, an idea beginning to form. Looking at Phantom Girl with a mischievous grin, he turned the simulation's difficulty level up a few notches. "He's just getting started."


	2. Nicknames

_Just got off of work and needed to unwind a bit, so here is a new addition for your reading. Hope you enjoy!_

**Nicknames**

The first time it happened, everyone fully expected that there would be dire consequences. It was fairly well-known to all that Timber Wolf didn't respond well to anything that resembled a dog reference or canine joke. It was also well-known that Phantom Girl hated being called 'Your Highness', 'Her Majesty', or anything implying that she was privileged or snobbish.

The morning had started out as normally as any morning that involved the Legion of Superheroes. A few people were up and about, getting breakfast and mingling with their teammates. Timber Wolf had gotten up early and was making pancakes in the kitchen when Phantom Girl walked in carrying a pale orange piece of clothing and one of his uniforms in each hand.

"Look at this!" she'd exclaimed, shaking both pieces of clothing as she marched up to him. She was oblivious to the curious glances of their teammates who were in the nearby vicinity as she glared at the feral teen.

"What was this," she held up his uniform, "doing in _my _laundry? Look what happened!" she waved the other item, which turned out to be a cape.

Besides a slight narrowing of golden eyes, Timber Wolf made no indication that he'd heard her. He remained focused as he flipped two pancakes onto a new plate, acting as if she weren't even there.

Clenching her hands tighter around the clothes, Phantom Girl raised her voice loud enough to draw _everyone's _attention in both the kitchen and sitting bay areas. "Hey, Puppy, did you hear me or do I need a dog whistle to get your attention?"

Everyone froze. They watched as Timber Wolf turned to face her. His voice was deceptively calm despite the fact that there was no ignoring the tension filling the air. "What did you call me?"

"You heard me the first time." She tilted her chin up, refusing to be intimidated. "Don't ignore me, and it won't happen again."

Timber Wolf leaned back against the counter behind him and crossed his arms. "Listen, Princess, just because you say 'Speak', doesn't mean I'm going to bark."

"Guess that means you're not getting a treat," she snapped back.

His ears went back against his head, his lips pulling back slightly to reveal the tips of his pointed teeth. Phantom Girl returned his glare with one of her own. The two were caught in a silent staring match until Timber Wolf snatched his uniform from her hand. "Just so you know, Princess, I wasn't the one who did this. It was Trip's turn to do the laundry."

"Oh," Phantom Girl stepped back a bit, glancing over to where Triplicate Girl had a sheepish grin on her face.

"Heh, ummm, sorry?" she apologized. "I wasn't paying attention, and-"

"It's fine," Phantom Girl said. She turned back to where Timber Wolf was looking at her expectantly. "Guess I owe you an apology."

"Whatever, just don't call me 'Puppy'," he said, reaching to the side and handing her the plate of pancakes.

"Don't call me 'Princess'," she responded as she accepted it. Turning on her heel, she grabbed the bottle of syrup from a dumbfounded Lightning Lad when she passed by his table. Flicking her eyes at his stunned look, she said, "Close your mouth, Lightning Lad, before you start catching flies."

Lightning Lad stared from Phantom Girl, who was now eating her breakfast, to Timber Wolf, who had continued making more food, both acting as if nothing had happened. He looked at Superman who was sitting next to him and said, "Are you seeing this? I mean, look at them!"

From a few seats over, Saturn Girl warned, "Lightning Lad…"

"No, I'm serious," he continued pointing from one to the other, "she just called him 'Puppy' and he called her 'Princess' without anyone getting maimed or killed!"

"There's still time for that," Phantom Girl said between bites.

"Just leave it alone," Timber Wolf added.

Superman placed a hand on Lightning Lad's shoulder. "Maybe you should quit while you're ahead…"

Lightning Lad shook his head. "It makes no sense. If _I _had done that, then they'd be out for revenge. How is it that nothing's happening?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Wait a second… there's something going on between you two, isn't there?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Timber Wolf said stiffly.

"Neither do I," said Phantom Girl, rising from her seat. After dumping her empty plate in the dishwasher, she picked up her now orange-colored cape and left the sitting bay, Timber Wolf's gaze following her out the door.

Saturn Girl saw Lightning Lad start to open his mouth again. Cutting him off before he could dig himself a deeper hole, she telepathically said, _Garth Ranzz, mind your own business. There's no point trying to understand something beyond your grasp._

_But—_

_No._

Glowering in his chair, Lightning Lad kept his thoughts to himself, still firmly believing that there was something weird about these new nicknames... even if his teammates didn't want to admit it.


	3. Family Dynamics

_So I realize that this miiight be a little out of character... but I had the idea and wanted to explore it. Hopefully, I did an okay job. Let me know what you think, and the same goes for any of the other ficlets :)_

**Family Dynamics**

_Brin felt fear grip his body as he realized that he couldn't move. He was helpless to do anything except watch his father pull a lever on his machine. Immediately, Brin's veins were on fire. He could feel his body changing in response to whatever sick procedure his father had started. Fur started growing at an accelerated rate from head to toe, and his nails hardened into claws. Everything __**hurt**__ and the control he regained over his limbs resulted in his thrashing violently against his restraints, tearing the flesh at his wrists as he fought the transformation. He screamed in pain, trying to get away – to free himself. _

"_Brin! Don't fight it! Let the serum do its work! Brin! Stop!"_

_His father's voice was barely discernable over the screaming that turned to howling as Brin's humanity was consumed by the serum. Strong arms finally broke free of the restraints and lashed out—_

"Brin, wake up!"

His eyes snapped open to see Tinya grasping his arm. He recoiled when he realized that he had almost hit her with it. Pulling away, he sat up in his bed and rubbed at his eyes in an effort to fully wake himself up.

"Are you alright?" Tinya asked as she sat across from him on his bed. She had come to check on him like she did almost every night and found him with his sheets tangled up while he thrashed in his sleep. Most nights, he was fine. Sure the nightmares had been a problem when he'd first come to the Legion, but he had been improving so much since then that they hardly ever bothered him much anymore. Still, she checked on him, because some nights were like this one.

"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice sounded tired. "Did I wake anyone?"

She shook her head.

"Good." Brin glanced at her and saw the concern in her eyes. "Seriously, Tinya, I'm fine."

No one ever talked about his nightmares. He wasn't even sure if anyone besides Tinya knew he still had them. She was always the one who was there to wake him up. The first time she had helped him, he hadn't even been aware of her presence. His only reason for knowing that she'd been in his room was the lingering scent of jasmine the next morning. At the time, they hadn't exactly been on speaking terms do to a misunderstanding, but after they'd cleared things up between them, she would often come to check on him because as she'd said, "That's what friends do."

"What do you want to talk about?" Tinya asked, pulling her knees up in front of her and wrapping her arms around her legs as she waited for an answer. It had become somewhat of a pattern for them. Whenever he had a hard time sleeping, it was left up to him if he wanted to talk about what was bothering him or if he wanted to talk about something else to get his mind off of it. He rarely ever wanted to talk about his nightmares, so they mostly talked about their likes and dislikes, their teammates, or their latest missions. Sometimes he would pick the topic, sometimes she would. Tonight, it was his turn.

"Tell me about your family," he requested.

Tinya didn't say anything at first. Of all the things they had ever talked about, family had never been one of them. She never discussed that subject with any of her friends and teammates. The most anyone knew was that she was related to President Wazzo, and that was it. End of story, and no more questions asked. As far as she was concerned—

"The Legion is my family," she said.

"That's not what I meant." Brin furrowed his brow. There was something off about Tinya. He could feel it. Confusing as she could sometimes be, his ability to sense emotions came in handy when trying to figure her out. It told him when she was happy, angry, upset, or hiding something. The hard part was figuring out the reasons attached to whatever emotion he was picking up from her. He watched for her reaction as he said, "I meant your _real_ family. Other than your mother being President, I don't know anything about them. What are they like?"

He saw her shoulders tense and waited silently for her answer without adding any pressure. What she was willing to share was up to her. Through trial and error, they had developed an unspoken understanding of what subjects were acceptable, sensitive, or off-limits. That was how this whatever-it-was between them worked. 'Family' was a grey area that had never been brought up before by either of them.

After a slight hesitation, she said, "My relationship with my mother is strained at best, but it's the only real 'family' relationship I have." She paused, her eyes focusing on a point somewhere on the wall. She seemed lost in thought as she told him, "I never knew my father. He left soon after I was born." She shook her head, a cynical attempt at a smile on her face as she looked back at Brin. "Apparently, he was a drifter who wasn't cut out for fatherhood."

She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but Brin knew that it affected her more than she let on. Looking to get her mind off her estranged parents, he asked, "So, what do you think is the family dynamic within the Legion?"

The question caught Tinya off-guard. She had thought of the Legion as her family for a long time, but she had never considered who fit what role. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I guess Imra would be like the mother. When she speaks, people listen, and she genuinely wants to help whenever she can. Rokk would definitely be the straight-laced, overly serious father who has impossibly high standards, travels all the time, and is all work and no play." She snorted. "He's the type to have an early mid-life crisis or nervous breakdown unless he learns to loosen up a bit."

Inwardly, Brin agreed.

"Garth and Lourno are like the brother and sister I never had," Tinya continued, "and Clark, Brainy, and Chuck are kind of like close cousins that I get to see all the time." She paused, mentally running through the other Legionnaires. The ones she had named were all ones that she had known the longest and knew the best out of her teammates.

"Where do I fit in?" Brin asked. When he saw the mischievous look in her eyes, he knew he had inadvertently given her an opening to tease him.

Sure enough, she said, "The family pet, of course," with a wicked smirk.

Narrowing his eyes at her, he reached next to himself and grabbed the corner of a pillow. He gave her a grin when she saw what he was doing and made the connection. "You wouldn't _dare—"_

The pillow swung through the air, barely giving her time to phase through it. Lunging forward, she snatched an extra pillow from behind him, and a pillow fight broke out. Dodging hits and taking swings at each other, they were more like children than superheroes, but neither of them cared. Sometimes it was good to forget and enjoy a moment of fun.

Finally, Brin was able to score a lucky shot and managed to get Tinya to surrender. She plopped down on his bed, holding her sides, and amidst peals of laughter, she gasped out, "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I take it back."

Brin lowered his pillow. Moving to sit on the other side, he said, "You should probably get going before someone comes to find out what all the noise was about."

"You're right." She got to her feet, tossing the pillow she'd been using back on the bed. "I'll see you in the morning," she said as she headed for the wall that separated their rooms.

Once she disappeared into her own room, Brin rearranged his bed. As he slid back underneath the covers, he realized that she hadn't answered his question. _Guess I know what to ask about next time__, _he thought as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Movie Night

_Forgive the length between updates. I've been trying to add to this at least once every five days, but work and holiday preparations have interfered. Just to pacify my inner nagging, I wrote this out as soon as I could. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!_

**Movie Night**

One of the nice things about having Bouncing Boy as their new leader was the fact that he recognized the need for Legionnaires to have a chance to relax. Movie night was no exception. It was a time for everyone who was at the Tower to sit down and share snacks while they watched whatever was playing. Tonight was Bouncing Boy's turn to pick and it was pretty much a given that he was going to choose a horror movie.

Phantom Girl was curled up against the far right side of the couch, waiting for the others to arrive as Bouncing Boy got the movie set up. She knew that Trip would be getting snacks together for everyone and that Lightning Lad, Superman, and Timber Wolf would be back from patrol soon. Shrinking Violet and Brainiac had opted out of watching the movie in favor of working on some project or another, but that was just fine by Phantom Girl. Less people meant more treats for the rest of them.

When she felt a slight dip in the couch, she turned to see Timber Wolf sitting next to her. "I didn't hear you come in," she said, moving her legs so that she was sitting normally to give him more room. She glanced around. "Where are Lightning Lad and Superman?"

Timber Wolf shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care." He nodded in Bouncing Boy's direction. "What movie's he setting up?"

"Some horror movie or another that I haven't seen yet," Phantom Girl answered with a shudder. To be honest, she wasn't really a fan of horror movies, but she was trying to be more open-minded with her movie-watching habits. _Trying,_ being the operative word_._ She looked at Timber Wolf. "Fair warning, I might spontaneously freak out sometime during the movie. So if you want to switch seats with somebody else, now is the time to do it."

"It's just a movie." Timber Wolf cocked an eyebrow at her. He found it hard to believe that she fought monsters and villains nearly every week without hesitation, but a movie could still freak her out. It didn't make any sense whatsoever.

"Doesn't matter," said Lightning Lad as he arrived, casually plopping himself in a cushioned chair a few feet away. "For some reason, horror movies seem to bring out the scared little girl in her."

Phantom Girl leaned forward to glare at him. "Remind me again who's afraid of a toy clown? I'm sure Captain Howdy would love to refresh my memory."

Lightning Lad started to rise from his seat, but the Trips suddenly rushed past him, each of them carrying something in their arms. One of them shoved a bowl of popcorn into his hands while another held out a soda. "Quiet down, both of you," she scolded. "The movie's about to start."

Both Lightning Lad and Phantom Girl exchanged one last glare as Triplicate Girl finished passing the snacks and drinks around to everyone. Since Superman was the last to arrive, he turned off the lights in the room before he too found somewhere to sit, and Bouncing Boy was able to start the movie. The opening scene began on an abandoned spaceship that looked like it had crash-landed in a marsh somewhere on Earth. As the movie introduced one of the main characters, Brin leaned over to Tinya.

"Who's Captain Howdy?" he asked softly.

Stifling a giggle, Tinya kept her eyes forward as she whispered back, "A toy clown that Lightning Lad used to be afraid of as a child. Apparently he was convinced that it hid under his bed and only came out during storms."

"You've got to be kidding me." Brin struggled to keep the amusement out of his voice but couldn't resist a grin when Tinya glanced at him to see his reaction. This little tidbit of information could prove handy the next time that Lightning Lad decided to hassle him about something. He tucked it away for later use and resumed watching the movie.

As the first character was dragged into the marsh, screaming, Tinya's hands moved to grip two solid items on either side of her. It wasn't until Brin cleared his throat that she realized one of the two things she was holding onto was his arm. Snatching her hand away, she shot him an apologetic grin. For the next thirty minutes of frightening disappearances and gory violence, she was able to keep her reactions under control (mostly). She was feeling quite proud of herself for not freaking out when suddenly the main protagonist was attacked from above by a spidery creature with slime oozing all over the place. Reacting on impulse, she latched onto the nearest person and buried her face in his shoulder. She ignored the silent shaking of laughter that she felt from her teammate, refusing to look at the screen again until she heard him murmur, "You can look now."

Brin almost started laughing again when Tinya carefully peeked over at the screen. By this point, the movie was almost done and all the gooey parts were over with. Watching the girl next to him, he was amused to see her sigh of relief. Apparently she hadn't been kidding when she'd warned him that she might freak out. Nevertheless, he didn't regret remaining in his chosen seat. He was sure that anyone else sitting next to her would have either pushed her off or drawn unwanted attention to her overreaction.

As the credits started rolling and they saw Superman going to turn the lights back on, Tinya released her hold on Brin. She carefully moved back to her original spot on the couch in the hopes that no one would notice what she'd been doing. She was already embarrassed enough that she'd been clinging to her best friend's arm like a little girl, and she didn't fancy anyone else knowing that she'd done so.

Brin saw the color rising in Tinya's face when the lights came on. Guessing the reason for her blush, he told her, "Don't worry, Tinya. I won't tell anyone."

She wouldn't meet his eyes, but she asked, "Promise?"

"I promise," he said, rising to his feet and holding out his hand to help her up. When she was standing in front of him, he waited for her to stop looking at the ground self-consciously. Finally, she managed to drag her gaze up to his, and he told her, "Next time there's a horror movie night, I'll be right here where you need me. That way, it'll be our secret. Okay?"

"Thanks Brin." Tinya's smile was soft as she stepped away to leave the room. She paused by the door, giving him one last grateful grin before she disappeared.

Not two seconds later, Lightning Lad was at his side, asking, "So… how did her Highness fare throughout the movie? Did she handle it well?"

Timber Wolf turned to Lightning Lad. Cocking his head slightly to the side as if considering, he answered, "I imagine she handled it better than you did when Captain Howdy came to play."

Lightning Lad scowled at him and spun on his heel, muttering, "I knew I shouldn't have told anyone about that."

Timber Wolf smirked as he started heading for the door to leave. Passing by Bouncing Boy on his way out, he said, "Oh, by the way, nice movie you picked out."

"I know! It's a classic," Bouncing Boy beamed, not knowing the true reason for Timber Wolf's comment, but that was okay. Only he needed to know about Tinya's horror movie coping mechanism.


	5. Colorwheel

_Okay, so as much as I've enjoyed the holidays, I'm kind of glad they're over. I was finally able to carve out a few hours of free time to get this idea written out. Please excuse any typos, it's been a long day, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. This takes place a little while after "Sundown"._

**Colorwheel**

_"You would look great in blue."_

_"I know it's pink, but you should try this on."_

_"Have you ever thought about wearing something other than black and white?"_

_"You are aware that there are more colors on the color wheel than the two that you wear, right?"_

All of these were phrases that Tinya had heard before. Personally, she didn't see how it was anyone's business what she wore, but that never seemed to stop people from advising her to add more color to her life. It wasn't that she hated colors, she simply found black and white to be both classy and easy to match. If, one day, she was inspired to wear color, she wondered what everyone's reaction would be. She'd heard that there was a running bet on who could convince her to wear something non-black, white, or denim as it seemed jeans didn't count in the realm of "colors".

For the longest time, Luornu and Imra had been the main ones that legionnaires would bet on, but Jo Nah, who'd joined the Legion in the aftermath of the Sun-Eater's destruction, had also become a new addition to the betting pool. Since Jo Nah had recently started dating Tinya, it made a certain amount of sense, but realistically, no one thought they'd see the day she wore any color.

"I just wish everyone would stop making such a big deal about what I wear or don't wear," Tinya said as she and Brin headed to the kitchen inside the Sitting Bay. She slid into a chair by the counter while he went to grab some sugar cookies he'd made earlier along with three containers of icing. "Even Jo's gotten caught up in this crusade of 'Let's Change Tinya'," she huffed and rolled her eyes, "as if hearing it from my mother every time I see her isn't enough."

"I'm not saying they're right, but what's wrong with color?" Brin asked, placing everything on the counter neatly. "Do you have something against it?"

"No, it's not that," she said slowly. She propped her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands as she actually stopped to think about her answer. Truth be told, no one had ever asked her, so she'd never thought about "why" before. "I guess that I just don't really see the point. I never really had very strong opinions about what I wore until people started making such a big deal about the lack of color. If I ever decide to wear something other than black and white, I want it to be because _I _made the choice to and not because someone coaxed or forced me into it."

"As much as I'd love to meet the person who could force you to do anything you didn't want to..." Brin opened the three containers of icing. "I don't think you've been properly introduced to the color wheel."

She raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I already told you, I don't see the point."

"Will you just listen?" He sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "I'm _trying_ to show you something, but you're making it very difficult."

"Okay, okay. Sorry," she said with an apologetic laugh. "Please, continue." She sat up straight in her seat and folded her hands in front of her as if she were back in school.

He shook his head again. "What am I going to do with you?" he muttered to himself. Pulling out three small spatulas for the icing containers, he iced three sugar cookies and arranged them in a triangle. Each of the cookies was iced with a different color of red, yellow, and blue. "These," he said, "are primary colors, the three colors that make up almost every other color in the rainbow."

"I learned this is first grade, you know." Tinya cocked her head to the side with a cheeky grin. "I even know my secondary colors as well."

"But do you know what they mean?" Brin raised his eyebrow inquiringly at her. There was a smirk playing about his lips that hinted he was up to something. Deciding to play along to see where he would go with this, she leaned back in her chair and waited. His self-satisfied smile almost made her stick her tongue out at him, but she refrained. Her self-control was rewarded as he resumed his explanation.

"This is the way my mother explained it to me," he said. He started by pointing to the cookie in front of him. He told her that blue was the color of distance. The color of skies and oceans carried with it the calming peace of both. He pointed to the yellow cookie and explained that the color of the sun was used to add light and clarity to the world. It was the representation of happiness, spontaneity, and intellect. Moving on to the last cookie which was right in front of her, he said, "Red was my mother's favorite color. It is the color of fire, passion, strength, courage, and determination." He stopped and looked at Tinya for a long moment. His voice became thoughtful. "She said that it was about having the desire, energy, and will to achieve what you want."

As Brin's eyes caught hers, Tinya found herself holding her breath. She had gotten caught up in the sound of his voice and the emotions on his face while he talked. When he finally looked away, she was able to breathe again. Picking up the red cookie, he held it out to her. She reached for it, ignoring the spark she thought she felt when she took it from his hand. He cleared his throat and turned to grab three small bowls, which he used to mix the icings into three more colors. After icing four more cookies, he replaced the red one and added the other three to the triangle so that it now resembled more of a circle.

"What about those colors?" she asked, munching on her cookie. "What do they mean?"

Brin placed his arm on the counter and leaned forward to point out the one with orange icing. His voice captured her attention once again as he talked about how orange combined the fiery energy of red with the happiness of yellow to represent success and adventure and to also inspire independence. Tinya learned next that green was the color of harmony, balance, and growth. Most found in nature, it was a symbol of hope and safety, or in Brin's words, "Proof that not even the harshest winter can overcome the promise of new life in spring." As he turned his attention to the circle of cookies, she saw that purple was next. Symbolic of wisdom, creativity, royalty, and magic, purple was the last color to talk about. The perfect mix of red and blue, it served as a middle-ground for stability and energy, having equal amounts of both calmness and passion.

"I bet your first grade teacher didn't teach you all that," Brin said after he finished talking about his color wheel.

"No, she most certainly didn't," Tinya replied, reaching for another cookie. She gave Brin a questioning look as he caught her wrist in mid-air.

"Let me," he said with a smile. Pulling her hand back, she watched in curiosity as he studied the circle of cookies for a moment. After picking the red, purple, and yellow cookies, he scooted the three of them over to her one by one. "Yellow, you help clear things up when things get confusing and channel your intellect into your sarcasm. Purple, you use both your calm stability and energy to help those around you, plus you're a princess," he said, smirking when she made a face. "And red, you have strength, courage, and determination that you don't always see for yourself. You have the desire, energy, and will of this cookie."

Laughing at the last part, she snatched the red cookie from Brin. "I would hope that I've got a _little_ more of those qualities than the cookie does," she said with a roll of her eyes.

…

After their afternoon in the kitchen with the cookies, Tinya started noticing a difference in how she viewed the world. She realized that Brin had made colors real to her in a way that no one else ever had before. They were more than varying rays of light in a spectrum; they were a part of life and had a deeper meaning behind each one. Though she hadn't yet found one herself, the idea of preferring one color to another gave her new insight to the people around her, and, for the first time, she understood why people had favorite colors. It was an extension of who they were, a visual expression of their personality.

"Tinya, we have to go soon or we'll be late!" Jo called from outside her door.

"Coming!" She turned to check the mirror one last time. Since Jo Nah was taking her somewhere nice for her birthday, she had taken time to dress up a bit. Wearing a sleeveless black dress that stopped above her knees and matched her black heels, she had pulled her dark hair back into a high ponytail and allowed two strands to frame her face. The make-up around her eyes made them look more silver than grey and added an extra bit of flair to her normal appearance. Letting out a breath, she decided that she was ready.

When she entered the hallway, Jo held out an arm. "Ready to go?"

"I think so," she said as took it.

Once they were in the elevator, Jo turned to her. "You look great, by the way. Very… dark." When he saw her arched eyebrow, he quickly added, "In a good way."

"Right," was her only answer. She watched the changing numbers as they got closer to the ground floor. She ignored Jo's slight fidgeting, allowing him to wonder what might be going through her mind at the moment. She didn't doubt the sincerity of his compliment, but she was sure that he'd been hoping she would have worn the bright green scarf he got "to match her bright personality". The truth was, even though she'd considered wearing it to make him happy, she couldn't bring herself to do it because something still didn't feel right. There was something off about the shade of green that didn't seem to match the balanced color of Brin's color wheel. It made her think more of envy than harmony, so she'd left the scarf behind.

When the doors finally opened, they left the elevator and made their way to the foyer where they ran into Brin. Golden eyes widened slightly as they took in Tinya's appearance. She felt a slight blush creeping across her face, but Jo didn't seem to notice as he said, "Oh, hi. It's 'Timber Wolf,' right?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Brin shook his head as if trying to clear it. He turned his attention to Jo. "Yes, it's 'Timber Wolf,' and you're Jo Nah."

"You know, I've been here a few months, but I don't believe I caught your name yet."

Tinya jumped in when she saw Brin's shoulders tense. There were only a few people in the Legion who actually knew his real name and each of them were ones that he trusted completely. As a newcomer, Jo wasn't anywhere near earning a show of trust like that. "Jo, I thought you said we were going to be late if we didn't leave soon."

"You're right. I'm sorry, but we have to go," he said to Brin. "It was nice seeing you."

Tinya hesitated a moment as Jo started to leave. She could tell that there was something Brin wanted to say, but she heard Jo call her name from the door. "I'll meet you out front in a minute," she called. After seeing Jo's nod of acknowledgement, she looked back at Brin.

"I didn't have a chance to tell you happy birthday yet," he said. "I got you a gift." He seemed nervous about how she'd react.

"You really didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to." He went over to a side table and picked up a black box with white ribbon that she hadn't noticed until now. Handing it to her, he stepped back as she unwrapped the gift. She let out a quiet gasp when she saw a red jacket folded neatly in the bottom of the box. Dropping the box, she held the jacket up and admired it. Bold and beautiful, the jacket was styled in such a way that it could go either semi-formal or casual. She looked up when Brin started talking. "I've noticed that red's starting to grow on you here and there. You don't have to wear it, but I thought you'd like it. I swear I'm not trying to change you. I just—"

Tinya abruptly cut him off by giving him a hug. After a slight hesitation, he returned it. Still hugging him, she said, "It's perfect. Thank you, Brin."

When she pulled away, she saw that he was pleased that he'd given her a good gift. He wished her happy birthday once again before she left the Tower to meet Jo. Getting in the car, she turned to Jo and caught his startled look at the red jacket she was wearing. "Where did you get that?"

She didn't bother hiding the smile that formed as she answered, "From the same person who taught me the color wheel."


	6. Privileges

_So I had this idea the other night while I was at work and decided to swap it out with the other oneshot I had up before. As it is, that one's probably going to get rewritten or something… I don't know. Anyways, here's a new update and please, let me know what you think!_

**Privileges **

Jo Nah stood outside his girlfriend's door, staring at the cold, hard metal. He'd been outside her room for nearly an hour and a half as he tried to get her to let him in. With an impatient sigh, he knocked once more against the door. "Tinya, c'mon. Let me in so we can talk about this." He paused. "Please?"

He was met with silence. He leaned his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything, but there was nothing to indicate that she was even in there. With powers like hers, it was highly possible that she could have left without him even knowing. He punched the door in frustration.

"Something I can help you with?" a low growling voice asked from behind him.

He turned around and came face to face with dangerously narrowed red and gold eyes. He suppressed a shiver at the sight. Call it pride, but he'd rather not let on that he was unsettled by their owner. He swallowed nervously, took a step away from the door, and straightened his shoulders as he forced his gaze to meet Timber Wolf's.

"I highly doubt it," he said stiffly. "Her door's been locked and shut for almost three hours. I've been trying for at least half of that to get her to talk to me. Luornu's already tried as well, but it looks like she's not letting anyone in."

As Timber Wolf's eyebrow rose in silent question, Jo clenched his jaw. He hated that look. He'd seen Tinya give him the same look many times, and he had to wonder if she got it from Timber Wolf or if he got it from her. That stupid look managed to be both inquiring and challenging at the same time, and he always ended up responding to it. Grudgingly, he found himself telling Timber Wolf that Tinya was upset with something he said, but she was refusing to talk to him about it.

Timber Wolf stepped around him and took his place by the door. Jo watched, arms folded, wondering how _he _thought he could succeed in getting through to her. His mouth tightened into a thin line when Timber Wolf entered a code that had the door opening a moment later. As much as he himself wanted to enter the room, one look from Timber Wolf kept him in place as the feral legionnaire disappeared inside. The door locked once again as it slid shut behind him, leaving Jo to wait outside once more.

…

Tinya looked up at the sound of her door opening. She was unsurprised when she saw Brin walk in. He was the only one whom she'd shared the code for her room with. After an incident two and a half years ago when he'd nearly broken down her door because he'd thought she was hurt when a bookcase got knocked over, she'd thought it a good idea for him to be able to have an alternative means of checking on her that didn't involve wrecking the Tower. Besides, it was only fair that he have open door privileges considering the fact that she was able to come and go as she pleased from his room.

Brin said nothing at first as he crossed the room to where she was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, computer tablets spread out around her in a half-circle. Carefully moving some of them out of the way, he climbed in next to her. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and leaned back against the headboard of her bed as he looked at her expectantly. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

She sighed and shook her head. She scooped up the tablets into a pile before moving to sit a little closer to him. The offensive items sat in her lap, reminding her of what had happened earlier.

"_Tinya! How nice to see you! Oh, and wearing color as well, my, my. That is a surprise," her mother said approvingly as she hugged Tinya._

"_Hello mother." Tinya barely managed to refrain from rolling her eyes as she pulled out of her mother's embrace. The red jacket hadn't even been a conscious decision to wear, it had just become like second nature for her to reach for it whenever she was going out somewhere, but she should have known her mother was going to make something of it._

_From next to her, Jo held out his hand in greeting. "Hello, President Wazzo, I'm Jo Nah."_

"_Ah yes, I remember you from the Intergalactic Games." Her mother shook his hand. With a glance at Tinya, she whispered conspiratorially to ask him, "So, tell me how you managed to convince my monochromatically inclined daughter to wear something with any sort of color. I've been trying for years… and nothing! What's your secret?"_

_Tinya scowled at the two of them, acting as if she couldn't hear what they were saying. Seriously, was it that big a deal?_

"_I, uh, actually had nothing to do with that," Jo admitted._

"_Oh?" The prompting tone in her mother's voice turned that one syllable into a question._

_Jo rubbed at the back of his head and laughed once. "Yeah, it was one of our teammates. He was the one who gave it to her for her birthday."_

"_Tinya!" Her mother gave her a sharp look. "You shouldn't be accepting gifts from another boy while you're already going out with this nice young man. How do you think that looks?" Tinya opened her mouth to respond, but her mother turned back to Jo. "Who gave her this gift, anyway?"_

"_Timber Wolf," he said, not meeting Tinya's glare._

"_That feral-looking boy?"_

_It was that comment that did it for Tinya. What little patience she had disappeared and she snapped, _"_First of all, it was a _birthday_ gift from a friend, my best friend as it happens, and secondly, that 'feral-looking boy' has a name. However, none of that is relevant to why I'm wearing what I'm wearing!" _

_When she saw the shocked look on her mother's face, she took a calming breath. "Look, let's just enjoy lunch, okay? It's been a long week, and we didn't come here to talk about my clothes."_

"_I'm sorry, dear. Of course, you're right." Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just a concerned mother, that's all. Sometimes I get a little carried away."_

"_That's alright," Tinya said as the waiter came to lead them to their table. _

_After being seated, Jo struck up a conversation with her mother, leaving her free to hide behind the menu. When Jo had first told her that he'd set up a time for them to have lunch with her mother, she'd been furious that he'd gone behind her back, but maybe she had just been overreacting. All things considered, his meeting her mother was going better than expected. _

_Or at least it was until her mother brought out the computer tablets._

"_Tinya." The menu was pulled away from her and replaced with a box. "This box has tablets from many different universities across the galaxy. Each one has a digitally guided tour of the campus and their facilities, information on their programs and degrees, directions for applying, and any other information you might need." _

_Hesitantly, Tinya asked, "Need for what?"_

"_To go to college," her mother said as if the answer were obvious. "You're nineteen years old, and you need to think about a future outside the Legion. You won't be a legionnaire forever. I know you've been doing this hero thing for a while now, but it's time for you to realize that you can't make a life out of it."_

"_No." Tinya shoved the box away. "The Legion is not just a hobby or a pastime for me. It is my life, and I'm not leaving it." _

_Mother and daughter looked at one another, each holding their ground in their silent battle of wills, only to have the silence broken by the clearing of a throat. Two pairs of grey eyes turned to Jo Nah._

"_If I may, Tinya doesn't have to leave the Legion to go to school, does she? I mean, there are online classes that she could take part-time," he reasoned. He reached over to place his hand on Tinya's._

_Tinya pulled her hand away, placing it in her lap where he couldn't reach under the table. His opinion had no place in this. Her complicated relationship with her mother was one he couldn't begin to grasp on the first meeting, and he had no right to interfere. He didn't know her mother like she did. His suggestion, well-meaning though it was, would not be accepted by her mother at all._

_Sure enough, her mother's clipped tones answered back, "These universities do not offer scholarships for part-time students! An Ivy League school will require her _full_ focus and attention if she's to get the most out of it. My daughter needs to realize that securing her future just might require sacrificing a few years of her time to pursue school instead of criminals."_

"_The answer is no." Tinya glared._

_Her attention was redirected once again as Jo leaned towards her. His tone was admonishing as he said, "You should at least think about it, Tinya. Your mother's just trying to help, and it would only be for a few years. You could always come back to the Legion during breaks and after you finish school."_

_Caught between the approval in her mother's look and the expectation in Jo's, Tinya felt trapped. There was no arguing unless she wanted to cause a scene. With no other options readily available, she agreed to at least think about it before making a final decision._

Here, now, in her room with Brin, she sat silently, but not without communicating. Over the past couple years, she had figured out that part of what made him Timber Wolf included the ability to sense emotions. They'd never talked about it outright, but still, she knew that he'd be able to pick up on what she was feeling if she let him. She focused on consciously revealing her mixed emotions to share what she couldn't verbalize. She watched as he processed the things he was sensing from her and waited until she saw him look at her again.

She handed him one of the tablets from her lap. As he turned it on and saw the information it contained, she saw his brow furrow. "What's this?"

For a moment, she didn't want to tell him. She was fully aware that the person pacing outside her door wasn't going to be happy that Brin had been welcome where he had not. Despite their dating relationship, there were things that Jo had not yet learned about her – things that Brin already knew. Right now, she couldn't bring herself to care that Jo might be bothered by the fact that she trusted Brin more. She was too distracted with trying to figure out what she should tell her best friend because she couldn't _not _tell him something. He deserved to know.

"Talk to me?" he asked. "Please?"

So she did. She told him everything about the argument with her mother about her going away to college and about Jo's suggestion that she go ahead and take this opportunity that her mother was offering.

When she was done, Brin took the remaining tablets from her and moved them to his other side away from her. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face towards him. She felt some of the tension ease away as she looked into his eyes. Red and gold, the eyes of a predator, his was the gaze she sought when she was upset. Where others found fear, she found safety. They had come a long way from arguing about who got to fight what monster, and she no longer resented his ability to see past her sarcasm or defensive walls to the person she was underneath.

"Tinya," he said quietly, "whatever choice you make, I just want you to make sure that you're doing it for you." His hand moved to her shoulder. "It's your life, your choice. What do _you_ want?"

"I want to stay," she whispered.

"Then stay."

…

Brin was careful to not wake Tinya as he left her room. At some point while they were talking about the problems surrounding her decision and how to handle them, she had fallen asleep against him. Not that he objected, but it had been at least an hour or so since he had entered her room, and he could still smell the overly-cologned jerk outside her door. His hand hovered for a moment over the button to open the door as he glanced back at her. A slight shiver from her made him redirect his steps to her closet where she kept an extra blanket or two. After covering her with them to make sure she was comfortable, he left her room.

Jo Nah was sitting on the floor, leaned up against the wall across from her door with his arms resting on his knees. Brin sensed the anger seething under his jealousy as he entered the hall. Getting to his feet, Jo said, "Well?"

"She told me what happened."

Jo snorted. "Of course she did."

Timber Wolf glared. He let just enough of his feral side show through his demeanor as he said, "She has made her decision regarding her future, and you _will _respect it. Being her boyfriend doesn't give you the privilege to tell her what to do."

"But being her friend gives you the privilege to walk into her room when she doesn't want to talk?" Jo challenged, despite the fact that Timber Wolf could smell his fear.

Moving to stand directly toe to toe with him, Timber Wolf found it perversely amusing when Jo Nah flinched at his unsettling stare. "Being her friend has nothing to do with it. Having her trust, however, is another matter entirely. Let's face it, if she didn't want me in there, she could just as easily have phased me through the floor, but she didn't."

Jo flushed in anger at the reminder. "That still doesn't explain why you have the code to her door," he said obstinately.

"My open door privileges are none of your business." Timber Wolf crossed his arms. "All you need to know is that if you want this thing between you two to work, then you'd better learn how to let her make her own choices. You can offer her advice or ask questions, but the minute you try to force a decision, I promise that you won't like the results." He turned away to enter his own room.

"And why is that?" Jo's voice stopped him.

Timber Wolf looked over his shoulder back at him. As he saw the wariness in Jo's expression, he wondered if this guy was even worth trying to help, but still he answered,"Because whether you like it or not, being her friend means that I already know how this is going to play out. If you don't stop trying to change who she is, you're going to lose her."

Stepping through his door, Timber Wolf allowed it to slide shut before another question could be asked. He'd done his good deed for the week where Jo Nah was concerned, and it was up to him to decide what to do with it. Personally, Timber Wolf didn't care much one way or the other, but Tinya was already going to have a mess to deal with once she spoke to her mother again. The last thing she needed on top of everything else was a petulant boyfriend with hurt feelings. One of these days he was simply going to step away and let Jo Nah deal with the consequences of his own mistakes, but for now he was going to help Tinya in any way he could.

Because that's what friends do.


End file.
